


The Way it Works

by nawrry



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cuddly Narry, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Narry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-01
Updated: 2013-11-01
Packaged: 2017-12-31 04:49:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1027421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nawrry/pseuds/nawrry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry might be a little anxious when it comes to thunderstorms, and Niall might like being the protective one now and again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Way it Works

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick idea I got the other night. Thanks for reading!  
> 

  
The Way it Works

Harry doesn't want to wake up. He wants to keep his eyes closed, his breathing slow, his mind occupied with dream after dream, most of them about Niall, who's still sleeping soundly next to him. Harry envies the other boy's ability to sleep through these storms while Harry lies awake in a fit of nerves, every roar of thunder shaking him to his core, every flash of lightning a painful reminder that he has no control over this force of nature. 

He should outgrow this fear by now, it's been years since that storm blew over the tree in his family's backyard, sending it crashing into Harry's room, just feet away from crushing the small boy. But yet he still feels the same helpless panic, and maybe he won't ever get over it. Harry rolls his head over to look at Niall, whose soft snores are being drowned out by the thunder. Niall's laying on his stomach, his head turned towards Harry and his hair hanging down on his forehead. He's tucked into Harry's side, his arm around the taller boy's waist. Harry takes in the way Niall looks when he sleeps, so peaceful and child-like, his lips pouted and his brow crinkled in sleep. Harry wants to reach out and touch him, he wants to wake Niall up and be soothed back to sleep by Niall's soft singing, but he can't keep waking Niall up everytime it storms. It isn't fair to Niall, the most carefree person Harry has ever known, to be burdened with Harry's trivial fear.

Harry shifts away from Niall and tucks his arms around his midsection, holding himself to try to calm his shaking. His eyes pinch closed and he tries to focus on his breathing, in and out, in and out, but it does nothing to calm him until he feels Niall stir next to him.

"Harry?" Niall mumbles drowsily. "It's storming, are you alright?"

Niall sits up when he notices Harry's eyes pinched shut and his arms crossed, trying to shut the world out. Niall scoots over to Harry's side and gently pushes his hand through Harry's curls, his lips lowering so they're pressed to his ear.

"Baby, it's okay. Look at me, I'm here," Niall murmurs, stroking through Harry's curls until the younger boy's eyes flutter open.

"Hey," Niall breathes with a relieved smile. "Why didn't you wake me up?" Harry sighs, wanting to ignore the concerned way Niall is watching him like he's about to break.

"I didn't want to, Ni," he mutters. "It's not your pathetic problem." 

Niall's brow furrows in confusion as he shakes his head. "That's not how this works, babe. We love each other no matter what, right?" His blue eyes stay focused on Harry's until he nods. "Right. So you hold my hand when we walk through crowds and I hold you when it's storming. That's the way it works." Niall's nose nudges against Harry's neck, his lips brushing his skin in a comforting gesture.

Harry can't help but relax a bit as he feels Niall molding his body to his, coaxing Harry to lay on his side facing away from the window as the blonde snuggles close behind him. It's not like Harry to let Niall take over like this, every night it's Harry who curls himself around Niall, wrapping his arms around the smaller boys waist and digging his nose into Niall's mess of blonde hair. Harry's the protective one, the one who needs Niall to know that he loves him more than anything else in this world, and he likes to show it by being protective. 

But now it's Niall who's holding him and stroking over his skin and whispering sweet words into his ear until Harry feels safe enough to fall asleep. Which doesn't take long, because as long as the two are together they'll always keep each other safe.


End file.
